Telegraph to charge for online news

Tories face tariffs

Common Topics

The Telegraph will begin charging for news online from next year, according to a report.

The newspaper, which was the first UK national to publish on the web, will join The Times in requiring payment for access, The FT - which itself charges for online business news - reports.

The move will leave liberal-leaners The Guardian and The Independent as the only daily national broadsheets offering all their content for free online.

The Telegraph reportedly will not opt for a Times-style "paywall", which requires an upfront payment to access any content.

"The final decision has not been made, but it will not be an impregnable paywall like the Times. It will be a metered system or, less likely, micropayments," a source told The FT.

The system is likely to be implemented in the second half of next year, the source added.

Telegraph.co.uk is currently the third most-visited UK newspaper website, behind The Guardian and The Daily Mail, the market leader. The online readership of The Times has plummeted since it introduced charging, but it remains unclear whether it will be judged a commercial success. ®